Swinging bed for infants



UNITED STATES PATENT OEElcE.

BERTHA B. ROACH, OF UPPER ALTON, ILLINOIS.

SWINGING BED FOR INFANTS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 482,275, datedSeptember 6, 1892. Application filed December 8, 1891. Serial No.414,377. (No model.)

.To all whom t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, BERTHA B. RoAcH, of the city of Upper Alton, Madisoncounty, State of Illinois, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Swinging Beds for Infants, of which the following is afull, clear, and exact description, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to improvements in swinging beds for infants; andit consists in the novel arrangement and combination of parts, as willbe more fully hereinafter described, and designated in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of my complete inventionas used. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the bed detached. Fig. 3 is anend view of the bed in position in the hammock, showing the manner ofsecuring the same to the reticulated portion of the hammock, thehead-board being removed. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the bed, or,more properly, the frame of the same, in a folded position; and Fig. 5is a perspective view of one of the end pieces which I employ incarrying out my invention. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the bed in openposition, the fabric being removed.

The object of my invention is to provide a folding swinging bed forinfants which can be conveniently folded very compact in order to beshipped or carried, and yet when opened or desired to be used willafford all the necessary requirements.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents my complete bed, which is madein the form of a hammock-that is to say, of flexible material and havingrings 2 attached to the ends thereof, by means of which the same can behung to a wall or elsewhere, as desired. The mid portion of the bed l,or, more properly, the hammock, is constructed of reticulated material3, and the ends leading from the same or forming a part thereof may beformed of canvas, reticulated material, or any other material.

To a hammock constructed as above described the detachable folding bed,as hereinafter fully described, can easily be placed within the saidhammock, and also attached thereto in order to prevent said bed fromfalling out of the hammock.

4 represents the' folding bed, which is composed of two rectangularframes 5, which are hinged together at one end by means of a hinge orhinges 6. To the upper surface of each frame is secured the ordinarywire-netting 7, which gives the proper elasticity to the bed and makesthe same more comfortable when a mattress is placed thereon.

8 represents a flexible mattress, which is placed upon the wire-netting7 when the bed is open, as shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. When the bedis open, as shown in said Fig. 2, the opposing ends of the frames 5 bearagainst one another when weight is placed upon the bed, thus serving toprevent said frames from collapsing.

To provide a flat bottom surface for the iexible hammock material tocontact with, two fiat-pieces 9, corresponding in size to the frames 5,are employed, said pieces being hinged together at their opposing ends.In practice these pieces are placed in open position in the hammock andthe frames 5 placed thereon in position for use.

To connect the frames 5 and pieces 9 together, the latter are providedwith hooks 10 at their side edges, which are adapted to engage eyes 11,carried by the frames 5. To secure the whole within the hammock, thepieces 9 are further provided with hooks 12 at its ends and the ends offrames 5 with eyes 13 for receiving the same. The ends of the pieces 9are also provided with hooks 12, and also with eyes 13, which receivethe hooked ends of the said hooks l2. By this construction the hooks 12can be passed through the meshes of the reticulated material 3, andafter being so passed through the said material the hooked ends of thesaid hooks are passed into the eyes 13, thereby holding the bed andfirmly locking it to the hammock. (See Fig. 3.)

A bed constructed as above described would not be provided with both afoot and head board, and in order to provide the same with such I employtwo boards 14, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings, and situated in thehammock, as shown in Fig. 1. The office of these boards is to retain theportion of the ilexible hammock material located above the bed inupright position, thus forming sides, which serve to prevent the infantfrom rolling from the hammock. Said boards 14 are each provided with V-shaped depressions 15 at their corners, which depressions receive themeshes of the reticulated material 3 when the said boards are placed ina hammock, as shown in Fig. 1, thereby holding said boards in theirproper position in relation to the bed and free from movement, unlessthe same are desired to be moved from the hammock.

The bed constructed as above described when not desired to be used isfolded as shown in Fig.4 of the drawings, and thehammock and bed, beingof ilexible material, can also be folded and placed Within the foldedsections 5 and the latter, with the pieces 9 and `bed and adapted, whenapplied, to retain the sides of the hammock in vertical position abovethe bed, whereby guards for the latter are formed, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

In testimony rwhereof I aix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

BERTHA B. ROACH. Witnesses:

C. F. KELLER, ALFRED A. EICKS.

